2014 Full Gold Bullion Sovereign

Gold Sovereigns are maybe the most famous of all gold coins and highly sought-after by both coin collectors and Bullion investors. The contemporary gold Sovereign has been minted in Britain since 1817, and again from 1817-1917, 1925, 1957–59, 1962–68, 1974, 1976, 1978–82 and 2000 to date. 

The gold Sovereign has a five-century long association with national pride, prestige and exceptional minting quality. The 2014 gold bullion Sovereign coin hosts a portrait of Elizabeth II. HM Queen Elizabeth II is the current and longest reigning British monarch ever. Born on 21 April 1926 to King George VI and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, she became Queen in 1952 and her Coronation was on 2 June 1953. In 2014, a 1953 Sovereign sold at auction for £384,000. 

The first of the modern Sovereign coins carried the head of King George III and the 'St George and the Dragon' design by Benedetto Pistrucci, an Italian engraver who became Chief Medallist at The Royal Mint. 

Buy a 2014 Gold Sovereign 

• This pre-owned Sovereign 2014 gold Bullion coin is struck in 22 carat gold, weighs 7.98g and contains 7.32g of fine gold.
• A mintage of 261,216 bullion Sovereign coins were produced at The Royal Mint for the year 2014 (inclusive of collectors' sets). 
• The gold Sovereign is considered to be one of the world's oldest coins still in production and a pinnacle of minting excellence. 

The year 2014

Beyond the walls of The Royal Mint, 2014 witnessed many significant events; Russia spending a record $51bn hosting the Olympic Games in Sochi, tensions growing between Russia and Ukraine leading to protests in Kiev and the annexing of Crimea, the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines flight 370 over the Indian Ocean, the so-called Islamic State formed in Syria, and a K-pop record hit the world charts for the first time with Psy's 'Gangnam Style'. The year 2014 was a significant year in history, now immortalised in coinage. 

2014 Gold Bullion Sovereign Coin

The Obverse (front, heads) presents Queen Elizabeth II's fourth portrait by Ian Rank-Broadley. Her Majesty is posed in the Royal Diamond crown, which she wore for her coronation, and this design has been used on gold Sovereigns since 1998. 

The Reverse (back, tails) of the 2014 gold bullion Sovereign coin is that of the classical portrayal of 'St George slaying the Dragon', designed by Benedetto Pistrucci. St George, the Patron Saint of England, is on horseback, sword in hand. On the floor to the left is a broken spear from a previous offensive. Pistrucci's depiction dates back to 1817. He designed and engraved the artwork himself and was paid just 100 guineas for his services.

The coin includes the inscription, 'DEI GRA REGINA FID DEF', which translates to 'By the Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith'. The inscription refers to HM Queen Elizabeth II's position as Supreme Governor of the Church of England, a role Her Majesty has held since her accession to the throne in 1952. 

The 2014 gold bullion Sovereign coin may be supplied in an acrylic capsule.

The Trial of the Pyx

This gold Sovereign coin benefits from being verified at the Trial of the Pyx for its weight and quality. The Trial of the Pyx is one of Britain's oldest traditions, dating back to at least 1282 during the reign of Edward I. The ceremony usually includes; the Chancellor of the Exchequer, financial leaders, The Royal Mint's representatives and freemen of The Goldsmiths' Company. Coins are taken from every batch of each denomination struck, sealed in bags of 50 and locked away for testing at the Trial. The 'Pyx' is latin referring to the chests used to transport and store the coins. The ritual involves putting the coins in a copper bowl and selecting at random for testing. Each coin is checked to ensure it meets the specifications set out in the relevant section of the Coinage Act or Royal Proclamation. 

St George and the Dragon

The ancient legend of 'St George and the dragon' dates back to the reign of William of Malmesbury, during the third century, where inspiration for the story was drawn from a Roman soldier who refused to give up his Christian faith. There are many fabled stories associated with St George, the majority of which honour him as a brave hero with English ideals and a symbol of Christianity. The most well-known tale sees St George as a heroic rescuer on horseback sent to rescue a young maiden or princess sacrificed to a dragon, which he slays to save her life. It is widely believed that the dragon was slain at Uffington's Dragon Hill, a Bronze-age site just 20 miles from our premises. Since 1222, St George has been celebrated on the 23rd April every year in England, the country of which the legend is the patron saint. This is despite St George being unlikely to have ever been deemed of English descent. Mythical St George is also the patron saint of Aragon, Catalonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, Germany and Greece; and of Moscow, Istanbul, Genoa and Venice (second to Saint Mark).